


Lopsided

by Philbumps



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Fluff and Angst, Hiding Medical Issues, Karasuno Family, Kinda, Protective Karasuno Volleyball Club, kinda kagehina but can be read as platonic, stroke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 23:27:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30046428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Philbumps/pseuds/Philbumps
Summary: Everybody didn’t like Kageyama’s smile, including himself.Aka why Kageyama doesn’t like to smile.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio, Kageyama Tobio & Karasuno Volleyball Club
Kudos: 60





	Lopsided

Kageyama didn’t like smiling. 

He didn’t like mirrors or photographs. 

He didn’t like to look at his face. At all. 

Nobody has seen Kageyama smile. Not his classmates, not his own volleyball team. His parents and older sister barely saw him smile. Everybody assumed he just wasn’t a happy person, that he was always grumpy or upset. 

Nobody really knew that he sometimes struggles not to smile widely when they win a game. He kept his mouth in a straight line, almost a frown to keep from the corner of his mouth from rising. Whenever he slipped up, he raised his hand to his mouth, blocking anybody from ever seeing him. He preferred it this way, emotionless. No smiling means no weird looks or questions. 

Kageyama would say he’s happy, he just didn’t express it with a smile. He didn’t think it was a big deal, he just hoped people haven’t noticed how he desperately tries to hide it sometimes. 

The locker room was full of the volleyball team members who were getting dressed after a long game with Nekoma. They were sweaty and gross but you can feel the excitement in the room because they finally won a game against them. 

“Kageyama, your set at the end was super good!” Hinata beamed at him, “Then I ran in and the ball went KABOOM on the other side of the court! You should’ve seen Kenma’s face when that happened!” 

Kageyama felt adrenaline running through him, almost like his insides were vibrating. He kept his mouth straight though he knew he was struggling. “I know,” He muttered. His blue eyes were widened in excitement as he took off his jersey and looked at it.

“Come on, Kageyama! Be happy, we won!” He grabbed his arms and shook him. 

Tanaka peeked his head over to them, “Yeah, come on! Let us see that pretty smile of yours,” 

Kageyama furrowed his brows at them, “What are you talking about? I am happy!” 

“Doesn’t look like it,” Tanaka replied. 

“Yeah!” Hinata added on. 

“I ju-” He started to reply back before Daichi started to talk to them. “We have to get on the bus soon. Hurry up and finish changing,” 

“Yes sir!” Tanaka replied and they all finished changing. 

___

Once off the bus, back at Miyagi, Kageyama and Hinata began their way to their houses. Hinata walked while holding his bike while Kageyama got a carton of milk in his mouth. They were silent for a while. The game drained them and their legs felt sluggish as they walked on the sidewalks. 

“Hey,” Hianta said quietly (at least for him), “Why don’t you smile?” 

Kageyama glared at him, milk box hanging from his mouth, “I just don’t,” 

“That’s no fun!” He whined, “Live a little,” 

“I’m fine,” He hissed out, “I just don’t feel like it,” 

“You got yellow teeth?” Hinata’s head came into his vision, staring at his mouth. “Wait, do you have braces?” 

“No, dumbass!” He pushed him away. “You would have noticed if i had braces anyway,” 

“Yeah I guess…” Hinata was quiet for a moment. “I’ll see it eventually,” He said with confidence. 

__

Hinata did see it a few weeks later when the team made their way to Sakanoshita for some meat buns after practice. 

Daichi brought out the bag of meat buns, “Alright, everybody take one,” He said with a smile, holding it out for them.

The team quickly jumped to grab the meat buns, Nishinoya being the first one to grab a bun. The team stood around the shop, some sitting on the benches while others stood around. Hinata held his own in his hands when he glanced over at Kageyama. 

Kageyama had eaten half of his bun already. His eyes were wide and Hianta could almost see sparkles in his dark blue eyes. His usual straight mouth was slightly tuned up like a small smile. He went in for another big bite, filling his left cheek with food. 

“I’m not too hungry, Kageyama. You can have mine,” Hinata held up the bun to him. 

Kageyama looked up, still chewing, “Why?” 

“Just eat it, Stupidyama!” He handed it to him, putting it in his hands. 

“Thanks, I guess,” He proceeded to finish the first one and looked down at his new meat bun. 

A smile appeared on his face. Lopsided to the right side, the left side almost completely straight. It definitely wasn’t a smile you see often. 

Hinata snorted, “No wonder you don’t smile, it’s scary!”

Kageyama froze, he held the second bun up to his mouth but never bit into it. His mouth turned down again. “Shut up!” 

“It just looks like a scary smirk!” 

“That’s just how I smile!” Kageyama yelled back. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked back to see Suga. 

“Everything okay?” He asked softly. “I heard yelling,” 

“It’s fine,” He snapped as he shook Suga’s hand off his shoulder. “I’m going home,” 

“Wait, Kageyama!?” Suga tried but Kageyama was already down the hill. He was obviously trying his hardest to get away from everybody.

“I didn’t know he was going to be that upset!” Hinata looked up at Suga with a worried look. 

Daichi came up to him and asked, “What’d you do?” 

“I just said that his smile looks creepy.” He breathed deeply, “It wasn’t an insult, just an observation!”

“You’re not wrong, the king probably doesn’t know how to smile,” Tsukishima said after he walked over when he heard the commotion. 

“Hinata, you can’t just say that to people,” Their captain sighed. “You either, Tsukishima,” 

“Just apologize tomorrow after he’s cooled down,” Suga told him, a gentle smile on his face. 

“He’s going to hate me again,” The redhead drooped his shoulders, jutting out his bottom lip. 

“It’s going to be fine, Hinata,” Yamaguchi rubbed his back, though he looked a bit worried himself. 

___

There was a weekend until the next practice so Hianta hoped Kageyama was alright by then. Or maybe he forgot. On Monday, Hianta got there at the same time as always and waited for Kageyama to meet him by the gate so they could race to the gym together. 

Kageyama showed up eventually though a little bit later than usual. He seemed more sluggish. 

“Hurry up, Lazyyama!” Hinata positioned himself in a racing pose. 

“I’m too tired today,” Kageyama said, walking past Hinata to the gym. 

So apparently he hasn’t forgotten the incident. He rushed to Kageyama to walk next to him. They entered the clubroom quietly. Their teammates were already changing when they walked in. Furrowing their brows, the team looked at them, not expecting the duo to be quiet. 

Hinata looked at Suga who mouthed ‘apologize’ to him. He looked away from the setter and proceeded to get dressed in his jersey. 

Practice went by normally if not a little less chaotic with Kageyama being mostly quiet. Half way through practice, the group sat on the benches, drinking from their water bottles and wiping their sweaty forehead with towels. Hinata’s knee shook under him when he looked over to Kageyama. 

“Kageyama!” He yelled out, making everybody jump. 

The setter looked over at him, “Stop yelling. What do you want?” 

Hinata stood up and bowed to Kageyama, “I’m sorry for making fun of your smile! It’s still kinda weird but I think it looks good!” 

Kageyama watched him as he straightened his back. The team looked at them, pausing their conversations to see what would happen. 

“It’s fine,” His head dipped down, black bangs covering his face, “My smile is ugly,” 

Suga gasped, “Don’t say that!” He slapped his back, “No smile can be ugly!” 

“Yeah!” Hinata chimed in. “It’s just a little lopsided!” 

With his back slouched, Kageyama was quiet for a moment. He breathed in deeply and spoke quietly, “I...I had a stroke when I was a baby, the left half of my face had facial paralysis because of it. My left eye got better with therapy but my mouth never did.” He didn’t make eye contact with anybody. “That’s why it’s lopsided...and ugly,” 

Hinata spoke up quickly, “It’s lopsided but it’s not ugly! It’s your smile so that means it’s nice,” 

Kageyama looked up at him and opened his mouth. “Don’t let it get in the way of you being happy,” Suga said, “We wanna see you smile more,” 

“Yeah, dude, we don’t judge here!” Tanaka spoke up. 

“Let us see that smile!” Nishinoya chanted, shaking his fist slightly.

“Yeah, Kageyama!” 

Kageyama’s eye darted to his many teammates who were praising him. His cheeks stained bright red and his eyes nearly watered until he wiped them with his sleeves. He wanted to say something to something to make them stop but his throat had a scratchy lump in his throat. 

“Kageyama, you’re all our friend. We wouldn’t judge you,” Hinata smiled brightly at him. His even and perfect smile. That smile caused a warm feeling in his chest. 

A smile started to form on his lips. His right side of his mouth lifted. He doesn’t think he’s smiled this freely in years. He looked up at Hinata, almost proud to show his smile. 

“Thank you,” 


End file.
